Three-dimensional level-curve scanning based on intersection of laser lines

Abstract

A dimensional measurement system that also tracks object movements is presented here. The method directly yields the level curves of an object. It is an extension of collimation methods, coupled with the use of structured lighting with features formed from several luminous planes intersecting in a single line. This line defines a set of points of the space at a fixed distance Z0 from the measuring head. The locus of the points of the object where the lighting is reduced to a single line is the level curve sought. The introduction of an asymmetry into the lighting structure permits one to determine the direction as well as an approximate value of the value of the distance to the level curve from a point on the illuminated object. The experiments performed permit one to evaluate the performance of such a system, and suggest future applications.